Showbiz Commentary: Heidi Oringer

ByABC News
December 27, 2001, 11:33 AM

— -- If I were to get holiday gifts as nondescript and boring as what Hollywood offered in the way of movies this year, I might not want to celebrate any more.

There was hardly anything worth remembering entertainment-wise, so most reporters were stuck documenting the dismal behavior of the Hollywood element the substance abuse problems of Ben Affleck and Paula Poundstone, the meltdown of the melodious Mariah Carey, and, of course, Sean "Puffy" Combs prevailing despite major legal wranglings.

Then came Sept. 11, and nothing could seem less significant than celebrity peccadilloes.

Media and celebrity bigwigs alike put aside their backstabbing ways longenough to raise hundreds of millions of dollars for charity and create some memorable music. Indeed, the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks changed the world in many significant ways. But they also covered up the fact that there was really very little worth remembering for the movie-going, TV-watching, music-listening public.

I agonized over how to come up with 10 truly significant things that took place this year in the world of entertainment. Some things immediately jumped out Shrek and Harry Potter on the silver screen, the groundbreaking 24 on the small screen.

The end result: it took me longer to find 10 things than it did for me to gain 10 pounds eating bonbons and Chex Mix while Google searching. Of course, my idea of significant may not be yours, and these events are in no particular order, but here goes:

Top 10 Entertainment Stories

1. A Tribute to Heroes All major television networks and most cable channels, for the first time ever, simulcast a show. Some 60 million people watched this commercial-free, two-hour telethon, helping to raise $150 million for the families of victims of the Sept. 11 tragedies. The cast included George Clooney, Julia Roberts, Will Smith, Billy Joel, Elton John and many others, plus a star-packed group manning the phones. And this was just the foremost in countless tributes.